Adaptive Cruise Control problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer

The first component that fails and gives a warning is a 4wd failure. Once this warning occurs it cascades into a failure of collision assist, a sudden loss of adaptive cruise control, traction control and lane assist component. When this first occurred and my vehicle would suddenly slow down on the highway, because the cruise control would suddenly shut down and swerve due to the lane assist also shutting down. These warnings and failures did not reset immediately when you shut the car off and would last for days at a time. This would also happen randomly either on the highway or local roads. This is a known issue to Ford and they have issued TSB 23-2174 in regards to this.

Adas system malfunctions, 4wd malfunctions, vehicle will randomly shut off during driving.

While driving. Every light on the dash started coming on. Pre-collision assist not available, 4wd fault not available, no cruise (adaptive or regular) available, reverse break assist not available, hill assist not available. Every time the vehicle was started it would these issues or would start while driving. This is an absolute safety issue and hazard. The vehicle has plenty of reports online of this happening to other. Ford was willing to give vehicle back saying it was safe to drive without fixing bc I couldn’t afford it and it wasn’t covered under the power train warranty. I was told I have to report it and if it gets enough reports something will be done. But this is an unacceptable answer and cost for something that is a safety concern.

* the component that appears to be malfunctioning is the driveshaft and/or related transmission system. I have experienced repeated issues such as abnormal jerking when switching gears, grinding or clunking noises, and jerking through the drivetrain with erratic rpms before the vehicle regains power. These symptoms are consistent with problems covered in recent recalls for the 2020 Ford Explorer. The vehicle is still in my possession and available for inspection upon request. Issues have made it feel unsafe to drive the vehicle, especially with children in the car. The unpredictable jerking and loss of power present a serious danger, particularly when accelerating into traffic or driving at highway speeds. I am extremely concerned that a sudden failure could result in loss of control, a rollaway, or even a serious accident. Another concern is the defect involving the driveshaft or half shafts that might disconnect or stop functioning. This disconnection can lead to a loss of drive power or, if the parking brake is not applied, a possible vehicle rollaway. *while I have not yet had the issue diagnosed by a service center, I have filed a lemon law claim, and I’m in the process of addressing the matter formally. The symptoms I’m experiencing appear to match known issues that Ford has already recalled for the 2020–2021 Explorer models. Manufacturer has not yet inspected the vehicle, and no inspections have been conducted by police or insurance representatives. I am open to having the vehicle inspected by Ford or an authorized party as needed. *there were no warning lamps or messages displayed prior to the issues occurring. The symptoms—jerking, clunking noises, and erratic rpm behavior—began gradually over time, with the first noticeable incident occurring a few months ago. Since then, the issues have become more frequent and severe.

Please refer complaint number: 11507564 manufacturer promised to release a temporary remedy by mid August. Its November ,still no temporary fix nor permanent. Dealers give a fixed response of no parts available or no remedy. Attached is the recall letter that promised a temporary fix by Aug 7,2023.

Warning that the cruise control function was not working. The the car would not go more the 5 miles an hour until it had switched out of 1st gear, it kept changing gears. I was scared to death of driving it. I had to use my emergency blinkers everytime I had to slow down and the try to regain speed. The transmission was making a clunk noise and the engine was reviving like crazy. I was afraid of being rear-ended or someone crashing into my car because I could not get out of the way. The car is at the dealership right now, they will not have time to look at it until after the holiday. I was 600 miles from home and terrified.

When the car starts all warning lights come on. Hill start assistance, pre collision assistance, all assistance. There is no cruise, no safety collision assistance at all. First appeared on may 19 2023. Ford dealer is currently trying to fix the problem. They are unsure why it’s doing it. It puts all occupants life at risks as the car doesn’t have any safety assistance.

Two days after purchasing the light warning alert system started coming on. Check systems headlights warning comes on every month then the headlights will go out first the left them the right…Ford can’t fix the problem because they don’t know what and why this keeps happening. The lights have been replaced 4-5 times and reprogrammed. I have took it Ford dealership 7 times, and the last time I was told it can’t be fixed because Ford has to send an update for the electrical system… plus one for the back up camera going blue/black as well…. . They also have to send an update program for the other warning as well…. So no end to the problems to date….

2020 Ford Explorer st-about 55,000 miles. Dealer: preferred Ford in grand haven, mi. Issue is sometimes a multitude of warning lights would come on when traveling. They include shutting down the cruise control when in motion, the forward collision sensor would stop working, all wheel drive and hill assist lights would come on and stop working. This happens whether a short trip, 10-15 miles into town, or on a longer trip. Only way to potentially reset it was to stop, turn vehicle off for a minute or two and restart. Sometimes this worked and sometimes not. This is a safety hazard when operating on a roadway, usually at highway speeds, especially in winter road conditions or an occasional trip through the mountains to the southern states. Had a computer update, which cost $540. 00, still not solve it. Finally able to get into dealer with all warning lights activated. Dealer stated has to do with drivetrain. Now today (8-3-23), was advised by dealer a new Ford engineer internal service memo stated that is not the total fix. Total repairs cost is in/around $2000. 00. If Ford knows this is an issue and with the many Ford Explorers on the road today, this needs to be addressed so the consumer can have confidence in driving their vehicles.

While driving on normal suburban roads, error messages appear on the instrument display every two to three days: 4wd fault service required, pre-collision assist not available, service advance trac. The check engine light or wrench icon appears on the instrument display, and the stability trac icon appears on the instrument display. When this happens, the adaptive cruise control does not function. Safety of the vehicle and driver are impaired by major safety system(s) do not function, such as the stability control and the collision avoidance feature. I have brought the Explorer in to one dealer one time, and another dealer two times. A repair to the half shaft speed sensor has been performed twice, however the problem still persists. This problem first appeared on the vehicle in July of 2022 at 44,000 miles.

On two separate occasions while using the cruise control, the vehicle continued to receive warnings on the dash that the 4-wheel drive, hill assist, emergency braking, etc. Were all unabled and service would be required. The cruise control then also disabled and I was unable to use it again until I pulled over, stopped and re-started the vehicle. Upon doing this, the system seemed to reset and all warning lights went off. I contacted a local Ford dealer about this issue and was told that their loaner 2020 Explorer has the same issue and they're unable to pinpoint the problem. They've had it in and out of service for 4 months. Their machine is unable to find any errors. They feel like it may be something to do with the body control module. Since my vehicle is apparently not the only 2020 Explorer experiencing this issue, I thought it would be worth reporting.

Car jerks from 1st to 2nd gear and sometimes 2nd to 3rd. Also, very long delay when putting the car into reverse. Takes anywhere from 5-10 seconds sometimes to shift into reverse.

I have put my 2020 Ford Explorer platinum in the Ford shop several times because my cruise control has never worked properly. While using the cruise control it will reset to 85 mph whenever it chooses. This is a dangerous issue. Sames Ford dealership has looked at this issue 4 or so times with no fix. This issue needs to be addressed as my car is not the only one with this same issue.